Buffer overflow in Aol
CVE-2010-10015
AOL versions up to and including 9.5 includes an ActiveX control (Phobos.dll) that exposes a method called Import() via the Phobos.Playlist COM object. This method is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when provided with an excessively long string argument. Exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user, but only when the malicious HTML file is opened locally, due to the control not being marked safe for scripting or initialization. AOL remains an active and supported brand offering services like AOL Mail and AOL Desktop Gold, but the legacy AOL 9.5 desktop software—specifically the version containing the vulnerable Phobos.dll ActiveX control—is long discontinued and no longer maintained.
Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow
EPSS: 0.005 (41.4th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
Affected products
- Aol — versions 0
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (technical-description, exploit)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (exploit)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (exploit)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (third-party-advisory)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (third-party-advisory)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (product)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (exploit)
- disclosure@vulncheck.com (third-party-advisory)
- 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2010-10015?
- CVE-2010-10015 is a vulnerability in Aol, classified under Stack-based Buffer Overflow. Published 2025-08-21.
- Is CVE-2010-10015 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.